Railroad-rail



L. K. DEVLIN. RAILROAD RAIL.

(l io M odel.)

Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

WITNESSES." U%Vfl/@WJQ m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE K. DEVLIN, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

RAILROAD-RAIL.

srncxrrcA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,290, datedDecember 18, 1894.

Application filed January 10, 1894. Serial No. 496,374 (No model.)

The invention consists of certain parts and details, and combinations ofthe same, as will be hereinafter described and then pointed out in theclaim. I I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same, showing two rails joined; and Fig. 3is a cross section of the improvement, on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The improved railroad rail A, is provided with ahead A, shaped accordingto the use for which the rail is intended, the said head being supportedon a web A provided at its lower end with the usual flanges A adapted torest on the ties or'other supports. The

web A is made sufficiently large to permit of forming in the said web, arecess A, the opening of which is in the bottom of the flanges A asplainly illustrated in the drawings. By this arrangement a double web isformed, so that the rail is very strong in construction. At the sametime, the recess A formed in the under side of the rail serves as a ductor passageway for electric and other wires or other devices. The bottomof this recess A is adapted to be closed by a plate B, preferably madeof wood and fitted snugly into the lower end of the said recess.

At the joint of two rails, I employ a hood U shaped corresponding to therecess, the said hood extending a short distance in the recesses of thetwo adjacent rails, so that water, snow or ice is prevented from passingthrough the joint of the two rails into the duct or passageway, which,by the hood is made continuous throughout the length of the track rails.It is understood that this hood 0 extends, say several inches, into eachof the adjacent rails, and the said hood is preferably made of sheetmetal having an inverted U-shaped form with the ends resting on the topsurface of the bottom plate B.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as'new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent* The combination, with railroad rails eachhaving a longitudinal recess extending through the under side thereof,of a bottom plate forming a closure of such recesses, and

extending unbroken from one rail to the other at the joints thereof, andabutting at its side edges against the side walls of the recesses, and ahood extending a short distance into the recess of each rail at thejoint, substantially as described.

, LAWRENCE K. DEVLIN. Witnesses: I

WILLIAM J AMES MACHAFFIE, J. J. RUMMEL.

